Lothal set to get National Maritime Heritage Complex

Lothal set to get National Maritime Heritage Complex

Subject : History

Context:

• World’s oldest dockyard, Lothal, is all set to get heritage complex as the Prime Minister reviewed the construction of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) site via video conferencing.
• With NMHC, Lothal will act as a centre for learning and understanding India’s maritime history

Where is Lothal situated?

• It is one of the southernmost sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation, situated in the Bhal region in the present-day Gujarat.
• Said to be built in 2,200 BC, this port city was a thriving trade centre in ancient times with its trade of beads, gems and ornaments reaching West Asia and Africa.
• The port city was discovered after a team of archaeologists led by SR Rao started the search for Harappan civilisation post 1947 in the Saurashtra region.
• According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Lothal had the world’s earliest known dock, connecting the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati River.

The ongoing project: National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC):

• The National Maritime Heritage Complex commenced in March 2022 and is being developed at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore.
• The complex will have several innovative features, including the i-recreation, which will recreate Harappan architecture and lifestyle through immersive technology and four theme parks.
• It will also house the world’s tallest lighthouse museum, along with 14 galleries, highlighting India’s maritime heritage starting from the Harappan time till today.

Significance of Lothal

• In 2014, Lothal was nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, however, its application is still pending.
• Its heritage value is comparable to many other ancient port-towns around the world, which includes – Xel Ha (Peru), Ostia (Port of Rome) and Carthage (Port of Tunis) in Italy, Hepu in China, Canopus in Egypt, Gabel (Byblos of the Phoenicians), Jaffa in Israel, Ur in Mesopotamia, Hoi An in Vietnam, as per the dossier.
• In the region, it can be compared with other Indus port towns of Balakot (Pakistan), Khirasa (in Gujarat’s Kutch) and Kuntasi (in Rajkot).

Features of Indus Valley Civilization:

• On the valleys of river Indus.
• Also known as Harappan Civilization.
• Beginning of city life.
• Harappan Sites discovered by – Dayaram Sahni (1921) – Montgomery district, Punjab, Pakistan.
• Mohanjodaro discovered by – R. D. Banerji – Larkana district, Sind, Pakistan.
• The city was divided into Citadel(west) and Lower Town(east).
• Red pottery painted with designs in black.
• Stone weights, seals, special beads, copper tools, long stone blades etc.
• Copper, bronze, silver, gold present.
• Artificially produced – Faience.
• Specialists for handicrafts.
• Import of raw materials.
• Plough was used.
• Bodies were buried in wooden coffins, but during the later stages ‘Hsymmetry culture’ evolved where bodies were buried in painted burial urns.
• Sugar cane not cultivated, horse, iron not used.

Indus Valley Sites and Specialties

HARAPPA

• Seals out of stones
• Citadel outside on banks of river Ravi

MOHENJODARO

• Great Bath, Great Granary, Dancing Girl, Man with Beard, Cotton, Assembly hall
• The term means ” Mount of the dead”
• On the bank of river Indus
• Believed to have been destructed by flood or invasion(Destruction was not gradual).

CHANHUDARO

• Bank of Indus river. – discovered by Gopal Majumdar and Mackey (1931)
• Pre-Harappan culture – Jhangar Culture and Jhukar Culture
• Only cite without citadel.

KALIBANGAN

• At Rajasthan on the banks of river Ghaggar, discovered by A.Ghosh (1953)
• Fire Altars
• Bones of camel
• Evidence of furrows
• Horse remains ( even though Indus valley people didn’t use horses).
• Known as third capital of the Indus Empire.

LOTHAL

• At Gujarat near Bhogava river, discovered by S.R. Rao (1957)
• Fire Altars
• Beside the tributary of Sabarmati
• Storehouse
• Dockyard and earliest port
• double burial
• Rice husk
• House had front entrance (exception).

ROPAR

• Punjab, on the banks of river Sutlej. Discovered by Y.D Sharma (1955)
• Dog buried with humans.

BANAWALI

• Haryana
• On banks of lost river Saraswathi
• Barley Cultivation.

DHOLAVIRA

• Biggest site in India, until the discovery of Rakhigarhi.
• Located in Khadir Beyt, Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. Discovered by J.P Joshi/Rabindra Singh (1990)
• 3 parts + large open area for ceremonies
• Large letters of the Harappan script (signboards).

RELIGION OF INDUS VALLEY

• Pashupathi Mahadev (Proto Siva)
• Mother goddess
• Nature/ Animal worship
• Unicorn, Dove, Peepal Tree, Fire
• Amulets
• Idol worship was practised (not a feature of Aryans)
• Did not construct temples.
• The similarity to Hindu religious practises. (Hinduism in its present form originated later)
• No Caste system.

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

• The systematic method of weights and measures ( 16 and its multiples).
• Pictographic Script, Boustrophedon script – Deciphering efforts by I. Mahadevan
• Equal status to men and women
• Economic Inequality, not an egalitarian society
• Textiles – Spinning and weaving
• 3 types – burial, cremation and post-cremation were there, though burial was common.
• Majority of people Proto-Australoids and Mediterranean (Dravidians), though Mongoloids, Nordics etc were present in the city culture. Read more on races of India.